Our grievance over UConn Health’s failure to provide double time to hourly employees who continued to report to work during the pandemic has been denied in arbitration. This is the final step in our fight. See the arbitrator’s full ruling.

AFT-Maryland successfully held their 2021 Triennial Convention virtually. Although it was heartbreaking not to be together in person, the virtual convention came as close to recreating the feeling of worker solidarity and forward progression for the state federation as possible. Take a look at a recap from the two-day convention. Special thank you to our locals and delegates for a great convention.

Click here to watch the recap video on AFT-Maryland's YouTube channel.

AFT-CT invited our VP for commuincation, Chris DeFrancesco, to co-host the July episode of the "AFT in Action" podcast. Chris joined AFT-CT President Jan Hochadel to interivew State Senate President Pro Tem Martin Looney about the recently completed legislative session and the work that remains.

American Federation of Teachers Local 1789, representing faculty of the Seattle College District, is proud to make the following endorsements in this year’s elections:

• Lorena Gonzalez for Mayor
• Teresa Mosqueda for Seattle City Council Position 8
• Nikkita Oliver for Seattle City Council Position 9

Additionally, we are proud to stand with Seattle City Council Member Kshama Sawant against the campaign to recall her from the council. 

We know that these candidates are and will continue to be strong advocates for the needs of our members, our students, our community, and our siblings in organized labor. We look forward to working with them to fight for better working and living conditions in our city.

Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about the possibility of a veto session for the Louisiana Legislature. This is pretty big news since it would be the first veto session in modern history. Louisiana has only had one other veto session under the modern constitution, adopted in 1974, and only two veto sessions in recorded history.

BUSHNELL (7/1/2021) - While most ESP have grown accustomed to all conversations about compensation for education staff centering on teacher pay, it is particulalry worrisome that even in a time when ALL public school employees made sacrifices, took on additional responsibilities and heavier workloads, and placed themselves in harms way to help reopen schools, ESP have once again been forgotten --or worse, been fully disregarded-- by the folks elected to serve us in Tallahassee.

Quite a bit of attention was garnered when the Governor announced that he would be signing a budget that included $1000 bonuses to classroom teachers and principals as a 'thank you' for work done during the COVID pandemic. But what about our ESP? Where is the 'thank you' for their work? 

In a statement released today, the FEA reiterated the short-sightedness of bonuses paid in this manner after the state released details regarding the distribution of bonuses - now to be referred to as 'relief payments'. Districts have until July 13th to provide the state with names and information for all qualifying employees. Presumably, the checks would be processed and likely received by mid-August. 

In the meantime, some Districts around the state have already committed to making the employees left out of state bonuses whole. SCESP will be advocating that the District follow suit and make it right for our ESSENTIAL support personnel.

BUSHNELL (6/29/2021) - In preparation for the school year ahead, SCESP and District leadership have reached agreements regarding the extension of work hours for select ESP and a continuation of the paid internship option for ESP participating in the Para to Pro program through St. Leo.